2026 World Cup: Argentina faces an inconvenient truth

Having qualified for the semi-finals, Argentina has yet to face any nation from the world’s top 10 and now prepares to take on Switzerland.

Argentina’s path to the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup has also been marked by a notably favorable draw on paper. In fact, none of La Albiceleste’s opponents were ranked in the world’s top 10 at the time of the tournament.

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During the group stage, the reigning world champions faced Algeria (29th), Austria (23rd), and Jordan (73rd). They then continued their run against Cape Verde (64th) in the round of 32, before eliminating Egypt (24th) to reach the round of 16.

However, things could get tougher for the Argentine squad. In the quarter-finals, they now have to take on Switzerland, currently ranked 14th in the FIFA rankings—the highest-ranked opponent Lionel Scaloni’s men have faced since the start of the tournament.

Mahdi Zakaria LAZRI |

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Football web writer creating digital sports content with a focus on news, analysis and stories that reflect passion, accuracy and objectivity.

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